Mom Message Boards

Being my normal hermit-like self, I haven’t joined any pregnant mom clubs/message boards or taken any childbirth classes where I will be forced to make friends with other people. I’ve managed to find plenty of support through my family, doctor and books. And since I feel happy and as prepared as I expect I can be, I don’t think I’m missing out on much.

Today, out of curiosity, I decided to take a look at a message board for moms due in January 2008. I thought that maybe there was some sort of camaraderie that I’m missing out on. Sadly, I have to say I was very disappointed with what I found. The message board seemed more like it was there to help the women either feed on their fears, pass bad advice, or complain. For example, one women with 7+ weeks to go before her due date is worried that her baby hasn’t turned yet, and the other women think her decision to seeking an elective C-section is great. What?! It isn’t unheard of for a baby to remain breech until a few days before labour begins. I think an elective C-section is a drastic step to take just because the baby isn’t ready to stand on his head just yet. My baby has turned, but my OB has said it is fine either way at this point (also 7 weeks to go), because there is still plenty of time for him to turn again… and again. (Yay. 🙁 )

There is also a thread dedicated to women gnashing their teeth over the fact that car seats bought in the US cannot be used in Canada. Many of them plan to do so anyway, even though it could result in fines over $500 and invalidation of car and/or life insurance if there is an accident. I will admit it does suck (quanta and I wanted to get a car seat in the US too, since they are a good deal cheaper), but we have laws for a reason and I’m not willing to risk my baby’s life to save a few dollars. And don’t get me started on the thread about methods to get your labour to start early! Dangerous!!

I don’t know if my annoyance at these threads (and many others) is due to hormones, my general dislike of people, or a bad nights sleep. Maybe I’m right, or maybe I’m wrong to be annoyed. But, as is often the case, I find these message boards to be a place where like-minded people get together to support each other’s ideas, no matter how ill conceived they may be.